Hi-Life Onlinehttps://hilife.jlabmag.com
The Student News Site of Lee's Summit High SchoolWed, 04 Mar 2020 18:53:36 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.1Chess Clubhttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2655/features/chess-club/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2655/features/chess-club/#respondWed, 04 Mar 2020 18:53:36 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2655Sixteen warriors stand in ranks ready to battle their foes. Sometimes they are stark white, earthen brown, shining silver, clear crystal or hundreds of other forms, but their roles are always the same. They are pieces in the game of chess, where players use their strategic skills to try to defeat each other. Those pieces in their various forms may soon come to Lee’s Summit High School as a new club.

“I am trying to gain interest for a year or two to get the club going.” Science teacher Kim Rush said. “It will start next semester at the earliest.”

Rush is a new teacher at this school who is interested in making a club dedicated to the game of chess. She successfully ran chess clubs at the previous schools where she worked and wants to start one here. At those schools, the clubs formed naturally, but Rush has been actively looking for people interested in joining a chess club.

“I enjoy chess and I think it would be cool to have a whole club dedicated to it.” Freshman Will Eckert said.

Eckert thinks that it would be great to introduce more people to chess through a club dedicated to the game. He thinks that the strategic thinking involved in chess can be important for people to learn and put into practice in their everyday lives. He also thinks that a lot of people would enjoy playing chess in the form of a club where they might find out more about chess.

“There is a larger chess world than most people believe,” Eckert said.

Rush currently does not have any hard set plans for what the chess club will do. At one of her previous schools, the chess club arose naturally from student interest and Rush believes that it is important for students to have a say in what the club’s goal will be.

“It should just be about playing a lot. Going to a state competition could be a goal for the club,” freshman Conner Dugan said.

Forming a new club here requires someone involved to fill out the club application form and give it to the Building Activities Director. This form includes filing out the purpose of the club, when the club meets and who the teacher sponsor of the club is. This means that the club could be set up at any time if there is enough support for it which Rush hopes to find.

“Anybody interested just come learn chess and have fun.” Rush said.

Though the face of the game might change it seems that the goal behind it of having fun and making strategies to win does not. Soon the game in all of its forms might make it to Lee’s Summit High School.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2655/features/chess-club/feed/08 Tips on Skin Carehttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2648/quick-write/8-tips-on-skin-care/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2648/quick-write/8-tips-on-skin-care/#respondMon, 24 Feb 2020 18:52:20 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2648Many people have to deal with acne and blemishes on their face. It can be caused by stress, diet or just simply not taking good care of their skin. Here are eight easy tips to help get rid of blemishes.

Do not pop the pimple. It’s tempting but touching your skin will push dirt and bacteria farther into your pores and will cause more breakouts. If you really need to pop it, just a warm cloth on the skin and the carefully squeeze.

Don’t completely dry your face before you put moisturizer on. This will just seal in hydration for your face.

Tea tree oil really helps to get rid of blemishes. It is an antibacterial so it helps to clean your pores out really well.

Salicylic acid helps to get rid of blackheads. It opens up the pores and helps to get all the dirt out of the skin.

Try and wash pillowcases one time every two weeks. When laying on it, bacteria, dead skin cells and toxins are left.

Drink tons of water. It flushes out the toxins in the body and clears the skin face of the dirt and bacteria.

Putting toothpaste on a zit will help make it disappear. This will start to dry out the skin if you do this too much.

Always put sunscreen on. The easiest way to do this is finding products that have SPF in them already.

Everyone has different skin types and different things work for everyone. Some people need a eight step skin care routine and others need only two steps.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2648/quick-write/8-tips-on-skin-care/feed/0Discontinuedhttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2618/quick-write/discontinued/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2618/quick-write/discontinued/#respondWed, 19 Feb 2020 19:05:11 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2618The Juul corporation discontinued the mint and fruit flavored nicotine pods in response to the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) putting a lawsuit on the company for the amount of vape-related injuries.

Kristian DeHaan, a vape shop manager in Blue Springs, says “The bigger effect with the discontinuation will be on Gas Stations.” Gas Stations are the prime selling point for flavored pods, where the vape stores are focused on tank systems, or mods.

Another issue around the flavored pods is the demographic. Pods were meant to be used for the uniqueness and the accessibility, not for teenagers. The Juul corporation used ads and commercials to pull people in, especially teenagers.

These flavored pods were mainly targeted because of the amount of chemicals and foreign substances that were used to create the flavors. The most popular flavor of Juul pod is Mango, the chemical(s) that was used for this flavor include: Glycerol, Propylene Glycol, Nicotine, Benzoic Acid, and flavorants.

Each pod has a certain number of milligrams of nicotine, ranging from thirty to fifty mg, when open-tank systems contain ten to twenty mg, so the more nicotine in a system, the more addictive it becomes. This addiction is what fuels purchases even more, which pulls in more and more people.

Don’t succumb to these addictions, and remain with a nicotine free, healthy breathing, life.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2618/quick-write/discontinued/feed/0Apps for Young Writershttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2606/features/apps-for-young-writers/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2606/features/apps-for-young-writers/#respondFri, 14 Feb 2020 19:07:23 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2606As a writer, it can be difficult to find the right resource to help with the creative process. Whether one struggles with making characters, settings, dialogue or even needs feedback, these apps are great for these things.

A Novel Idea (i-products only): This app mainly focuses on orginalization aspects when it comes to stories. One of its uses is having spaces for information to be put for each character. The app also helps writers keep track of details for the setting, important parts of the plot, and overall themes. This app is perfect for projects both for school assignments and for fun too. When writing, it is easy to lose track of details both significant and not. Keeping up with a lot of papers and/or online documents for these details is a lot of work and it’s easy to misplace them. With A Novel Idea, all the information is easy to access.

Writing Prompts (for android and may contain paid content) Just as the title says, this app provides all kinds of writing prompts. It contains a variety of prompts both from the app’s team and ones submitted by users of the app. It also allows writers to write and publish stories from prompts on the app and other users and give feedback as well. This app is great if either someone needs to add new aspects to their story or even just to get their creative juices flowing.

Wattpad (phones, tablets, and online): While some might have somewhat of a negative bias towards Wattpad, it is very helpful for writers. Whether someone wants to write fanfiction, an original work (stories, poetry, blogs etc) or even release lyrics to a song, this app/site works well. People write and get feedback from Wattpad’s huge community, and also a large variety of things to read and get inspiration from.

Writing Challenge: This app is in a game format to make things more fun. When the app is opened, it gives the user a prompt and sets a timer. When the timer goes off, another aspect for the story will be added such as characters, lines and scenes. The timer will reset after that, and the process will start again. Users can try the group game setting and have each person write where the one before them left off. This app helps writers learn when to incorporate details and it provides a good challenge as well.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2606/features/apps-for-young-writers/feed/0Tragic Timeshttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2579/quick-write/tragic-times/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2579/quick-write/tragic-times/#respondThu, 06 Feb 2020 18:20:48 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=25792019 was filled with tragic events, not only for specific nations, but for the world in entirety. Here are some of the worst things to happen to planet earth over the past year and how they shocked all of us.

One of the most traumatic events starting out 2019 was the fire in the Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15,

estimating up to about 1,000,000,000 dollars to repair it completely. However, the

highlight of this was that sources are saying that the Cathedral will be done in the next year.

Some of the famous celebrities that donated to help rebuild the cathedral are:

Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway, and Barack Obama.

March 15th in Hong Kong, a protest arose, sparking an outrage within the city about an extradition bill, stating that the police could arrest people without any reasonable suspicion. This protest lasted for about 6 months and involved about 210,000 people. Around 7,000 people got detained for these protests.

Skipping over to August, climate change took a toll on the

Brazilian rainforest, burning up to 2 million acres of land.

The reason this is important is because the Brazilian

rainforest makes up 20% of all of the world’s oxygen.

Another instance of climate change and global warming is Canada, with heat rising up an average of 2.3%, which is twice the speed of warming than all of the other countries, with the average around the globe is around 1.8%.

There is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel, no matter how long, starting off with events such as:

On November 12th, Disney released their very own streaming service titled

‘Disney+’, already surmounting up to 10,000,000 subscribers in

the first few months, with original shows like,

‘The Mandalorian,’ or the ‘High School Musical’ television series.

Also, the US women’s soccer team won their second consecutive championship in France.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2579/quick-write/tragic-times/feed/0Helpless Homeboundhttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2576/uncategorized/helpless-homebound/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2576/uncategorized/helpless-homebound/#respondFri, 31 Jan 2020 13:54:58 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2576There are thousands of injuries and pregnancies among high school students every year, leading to major difficulty for attending school. When a student is under any sort of condition, it can be very difficult to not only attend school, but to make it from class to class. In order to provide assistance with this, many school districts around the nation have started to provide a new program; homebound.

There are over one hundred school districts around the country that offer homebound services, allowing for students who are injured or unable to attend school to continue their daily education. A student may apply for homebound services whenever they are in a situation that does not allow them to attend school. The application is then looked at by the board of education, and they decide if said student fits the role of homebound.

“Homebound is a program that the district offers for students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to attend the regular school day. Typically, students would access homebound if they were going to be absent for a long period of time, and it would be difficult for them to continue their course work,” counselor Connie Ficken said.

In order for a student to receive homebound services, they must have a note filled out and signed by a medical doctor that states that the student will be unable to attend school for one reason or another. The note is then sent to the board of education, along with a few other pieces of paperwork, typically filled out by the students parents. In order for a student to access homebound services, a student must be planning on being absent for at least six weeks of school.

“When in homebound you spend most of the day working on assignments that your homebound teacher has brought you and a couple of times a week your teacher comes to give you new assignments or give you a test,” junior Elisabeth Roach said.

Although homebound is a very good option for students who are unable to attend the regular school day, there are also a lot of disadvantages to going on the program. For one, students are unable to receive direct instruction from their teacher, which can lead to confusion. On homebound, a student still does all of the same work as their peers, it is just done at home or with an assigned teacher. The teachers assigned typically only teach one subject on a regular basis, so when a student on homebound has multiple different classes, their teacher will not be able to help much on the subjects they are not very good at.

“The disadvantages are that you are missing out on face to face instruction. If you are gone, you can learn the material, but there are certain classes and topics that students will do better with having face to face instruction. Students will also be missing out on social interaction. You’re home twenty-four hours a day, fighting the motivation to work on work,” assistant principal James Oyler said.

Homebound can be a very dangerous option for students, because when on homebound, students have to make their own motivation to do all of their work. When in a school environment, there are teachers and other students there to motivate everyone. When at home, students are surrounded by different comforts, which can make it very difficult to motivate oneself to actually get up and do school work.

“From a student perspective, there are classes that are not able to be provided with homebound instruction. The district publishes a list of classes that would automatically qualify for homebound. But if a student is enrolled in classes that are not on that list, it’s really teacher discretion whether or not they can continue in those classes, and sometimes it’s just not going to be possible,” Ficken said.

Altogether, homebound can be a very positive option for schools to provide to students. It can allow for continued learning, even while a student is unable to attend school. However, students should not go on homebound unless absolutely necessary. Being on homebound can very easily complicate things, with the time needed to wait for the school board to approve it, getting assigned a teacher, possibly dropping classes, etc. So, while homebound can be a great option, students and parents should use major discretion and do a lot of research on the program before making a final decision.

For years, people have fought for what they believe in through public protests and demonstrations, and the citizens of Kansas City are no exception. On Saturday, January 4th, locals gathered in the plaza area to protest the threat of war with Iran. Just two days after a US airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, people from many backgrounds and organizations came together to advocate against starting a war with Iran. LSHS alum Yonny Astake and his cousin Adin Alem were two of many who used their voices to speak out in favor of peace.

“I wanted to be able to show my support of anti-war efforts outside of postings online and hopefully encourage others to support anti-war efforts as well,” Alem said.

Though most have some knowledge over Iran’s relationship with the United States, many have been following the story more closely to stay up to date and informed as to what is happening.

“I have seen the news about the conflicts in Iran specifically going back to when the US imposed sanctions on the country in 2017. I rely on various outlets on Twitter and YouTube for current information on the conflict, but to learn more about the context of it I will go back and read news articles from various points in time that certainly had an impact on the current conflict,” Astake said.

In fact, many rely on Twitter and social media for news and current information, and that is even how some people learned about the stressed relations.

“I have not been following the story for too long, I think it was the day World War III blew up on Twitter. I developed a huge interest in the topic, and I saw tweets that were less popular, but very relevant, and they provided much insight into the conflict. I follow several pages, they match my opinions and provide a lot of details on what is happening,” sophomore Amari Childs said.

While at the protests, locals were able to not only speak out but also listen to some of the various reasons different groups oppose the hostility with Iran.

With all of the current concerns for the planet, many have realized that war plays a part in some of the damage done to the Earth. The Sunrise Movement in Kansas City is a youth-led organization with the goal of fighting back against climate change.

“I was at the Sunrise table, which is an environmental activist group speaking on how only the fossil fuel industry profits from war while only everyday people die and suffer in countries where war is happening. The protest in KC showed how war impacts so many different things in ways that might not be as obvious at first and I am very glad I was able to see that,” Alem said.

Though some are willing to speak out, others are not yet sure about attending one of these events.

“While I would love to be vocal about my views on the matter, I am kind of nervous about the idea of attending a protest. It seems really cool though, and I think it is great that people can come together and speak as one about an idea they accept or reject,” Childs said.

Though it can be nerve-wracking to attend a large event like this, it is ultimately one of the best ways to fight for a cause.

“Local protests are important because they unite people under an important cause, and they shine a light on issues that are pressing in the national spotlight. And above all, these protests show that people will not be complacent with the way things are and that we will fight to change whatever injustice we see,” Astake said.

The potential conflict with Iran is a global issue, so it can be easy to ignore what is happening. However, it is important to understand the impact war has on all groups.

“Honestly, every issue is a global issue. I know it is hard to think of international war as impacting Lee’s Summit or Kansas City, but it does. War devastates our environment, which impacts us. War encourages the idea of people over profit, which ends up hurting us as well. And even in the ways in which we are not impacted, we have a duty to stand up for what is right. Protesting in our hometowns is a great way to do that,” Alem said.

As teenagers are becoming adults, it is important for them to be educated as to what is happening. Forming viewpoints and expressing opinions to fight injustice are some of the many ways local people can stand up and make a difference in the world. Real changes can be made, and they can all start right here in Kansas City.

She worriedly taps on her phone, hoping to see a message from her boyfriend whom she has not heard from in days. Sighing after seeing no new text messages again she sends one more message along with the other ten she sent earlier.

“Ghosting is the intentional act of ceasing communication with a person that you have an established relationship of some sort which can be friendship, romantic relationship, or an acquaintance,” school psychologist Kay Kelly said.

Ghosting happens the most on social media and dating sites, as it is possible to be in a relationship on platforms like this either without seeing each other in person or not knowing where to find the person.

“With the increase in apps and platforms that allow for anonymous communication to happen, it can create a disconnect that you are speaking to a real person and not just an unknown profile. The more you disguise a real person as less than a person, anonymous, a profile, don’t really know them, ect the easier it is to respond with behaviors that are hurtful to them. If you yourself remain anonymous or lean into a persona that is not 100% you, then you are continuing that disguise and can make justification that the relationships are not real and you don’t have to uphold basic courtesy for others,” Kelly said.

Similar to how people cyberbully others by dehumanization, ghosters can ignore guilt by thinking of the other person as insignificant and/or ignoring their feelings. People who ghost are able to do so without dealing with the consequences of that kind of behavior rather than other ways that people use to breakup.

“Some students might be able to move on; however, if the individual had invested themselves in the relationship it can be confusing and hurtful that someone isolates them completely. They could internalize the feelings and blame themselves or generalize the feelings that since this person did not uphold or reciprocate mutual feelings of respect that they are not worthy of respect as a person,” Kelly said.

When someone goes through this situation it can be scary and can cause them to worry at first. They would probably wonder if something bad happened to the person they were in a relationship with. When a long time of no responses or word from the other passes, the ghosted

party would have feelings of abandonment and would be likely to have aversion to future relationships especially the online kind.

Kelly also had advice for people going through the after effects of ghosting.

“Positive self talk is a good strategy for working through tough and confusing moments, like getting ghosted. It is good to reflect back and allow yourself to recognize your worth as a person and what you bring to a friendship/relationship. If a person was not able to reciprocate those actions back then it is okay to let that go even though it an important relationship at that time and work towards building relationships and friendships with others who can treat you as a person,” Kelly said.

“I would imagine ghosting happens in the earlier stages of a relationship rather than later,” school counselor Sally Sabata said.

By reason of, when in an early stage of a relationship both in friendship and romantic relationships, people are less attached so in the case of ghosting the ghoster will have a less difficult time doing so.

“When someone is unable to communicate a desire to call things off it can be a sign of social or emotional immaturity. Sometimes people are nervous or scared about the repercussions or the ensuing conversation that’s likely to happen if they break it off verbally,” Sabata said.

Due to the fear of consequences, the idea of ghosting may go through someone’s mind. While plenty of people do not choose to ghost, there are many who choose to. Social media and dating apps make this more likely to happen.

“We got together in 2017 and my boyfriend cut me off in 2019. We said goodnight one night and then the next morning I was blocked on all social media,” sophomore Taylia Ellis said.

Ghosting happens suddenly with no warning, and because of the lack of closure and lack of contact, the breakup is more difficult.

“I was really upset because there was really no reason for it. I cried a lot and if I were being honest it was one of my worst breakups,” Ellis said.

Being ghosted is a difficult experience and is something that can happen to anyone in an online or offline relationship. Speaking with someone you care about and trust is a course of action that can help you through this difficult time.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2570/features/ghosted/feed/0Steady Shreddinghttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2566/uncategorized/steady-shredding/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2566/uncategorized/steady-shredding/#respondThu, 30 Jan 2020 19:16:45 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2566Gliding around on smooth pavement easily, the skate park ground was moving faster and felt much better than the rough parking lot where he first began. Balancing himself on an 8 and a half inch wide board, senior Alex Ripplinger was getting his first taste of skateboarding.

“I started a little over two months ago, and I started because I thought it was cool and my friends and I all needed a hobby,” Ripplinger said.

Skateboarding requires balancing your weight evenly on your feet so you stay upright. Shifting weight to the toes and heels is how to turn, requiring skill of being able to shift weight throughout the foot.

“I see myself improving everytime I skate,” Ripplinger said.

According to Braille Skateboarding, skateboards were first invented in the 1950’s and have come a long way since then. At first skateboards were used to just ride around, the riders having no idea how drastically skateboarding was going to change in the decades to come. Over the years with more experimentation by skateboarders, the idea of doing tricks with their board were filling more minds.

“I am very scared when it comes to tricks but my confidence is going up each time I practice,” Ripplinger said.

The ollie is the first trick most skaters learn as it is the most basic and stems into many other different tricks. An ollie is done by popping the tail of the skateboard into the ground, causing the board to go up into the air while the rider jumps above the board and lands. Tricks can be especially hard to do because of the many different steps and unnatural movement of ones feet and legs.

“I feel that trying tricks can be very hard and frustrating but once you figure them out it’s very rewarding,” LSHS Alumni Damon Bedenbender said.

Skateboarding can be picked up by anyone and it is viewed as an art by other skaters. There is no being wrong in art, like there is no being wrong in skateboarding. It does not matter what the rider does when they skate, only that they are out having fun.

“Skating to me is a way to both relax myself and to show off,” Bedenbender said.

Skateboarding is still on the rise to this day and all kinds of countries are into it. The 2020 Olympics are the first Olympics to have skateboarding as a competition, proving that more and more people are becoming interested in and buying skateboards.

]]>https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2566/uncategorized/steady-shredding/feed/0The Making of a Superintendenthttps://hilife.jlabmag.com/2563/personality/the-making-of-a-superintendent/
https://hilife.jlabmag.com/2563/personality/the-making-of-a-superintendent/#respondThu, 30 Jan 2020 19:13:52 +0000https://hilife.jlabmag.com/?p=2563As the final vote has been reached for the superintendent of the LSR7 school district Dr. David Buck is overcome with a sense of relief as his name is announced. He immediately begins going through his plan for the upcoming school year.

“I’m beyond humbled and excited about the call to serve in LSR7. As far as changes, that isn’t my mindset. I need to listen and learn before I can lead,” newly elected superintendent David Buck said.

Buck does not intend to make large scale changes to the district when he first becomes the superintendent. He plans to observe where the district is at currently and then make changes accordingly.

“My personal mission statement is to help each and every kid grow into an adult we all would be proud to call our neighbor,” Buck said.

Buck plans to instill strong character traits throughout the school district to ensure students become successful members of society.

“ I have been an administrator for the past 18 years, taught at Missouri Scholars Academy for 7 years, and facilitated the Missouri Leadership Academy for a decade,” Buck said.

Buck has been working in the school system for 18 years and plans to use the knowledge he has gained from this experience to better the district.

“LSR7’s strengths are many. From across the state, it is clear that LSR7 excels in the classroom and outside of the classroom. It is also clear that innovation is important. I’m excited to build upon those strengths,” Buck said.

Buck plans to prioritize where the district’s strengths are and ensure that they are utilized.

“After 18 years of administration, I don’t tend to look at things as pressure or stress. Energy means opportunity,” Buck said.

When Buck is presented with stress he tries to see it as an opportunity to accomplish an important task rather than letting the stress get to him.

“At Wright City, we are at around 22% minority rate, which means we have more diversity than about 90% of the districts in Missouri. We have looked at how we can remove barriers to things that matter,” Buck said.

In his previous school district, they tried to make higher-level courses more available and accessible. They prioritized helping students be able to afford advanced placement classes.

“I will miss the people. I’ve been at Wright City for 12 years. My oldest was only 3 years old and my other two children were yet to be born. We have worked hard to improve and serve. The campus is better than we found it, but it is the people I will miss the most,” Buck said.

The transition from his previous district to the LSR7 school district could be difficult due to all the personal connections he has made, but he remains optimistic for the future.